Tears of Crystal
by Aldrean Treu Peri
Summary: My own little rendition of how Usagi and Mamoru 'remembered' their past.


**Tears Of Crystal:**

So he hated her.  She never really put much faith into the hopes that he might return her love.  So he didn't think she was good enough for him.  She already knew that, even Melvin was too good for her.  So he teased her …again.  There was nothing new there, just routine …but she still longed for it to not hurt.  She hated that, it wasn't bad enough that her love would forever be unrequited but his words had to pierce her heart as well.  But, she supposed, it could have been worse.  He could have been nice to her, could have offered his friendship and not his heart, yes that would have hurt worse.  She thought maybe she should thank him, by being so quick to quip and slow to respond to caring he would enable her to recover.

            Recover and gather up the pieces of her broken heart.  She couldn't blame him; after all, he didn't even know what he was doing to her.  It wouldn't be fair.  And even though she knew life wasn't fair, she didn't want to hurt him or make him feel as though he had hurt her …but she felt as though she at least deserved something for all she had been willing to give up for him.  If this is what love was, knowing beyond any certainty when someone was made just for you and then being callously treated by that one special person until your heart shattered and everything hurt …well then, she just didn't ever want to love again.  Besides, if it wasn't him …it wouldn't be anyone.  That simple.  That frustratingly simple …that …hard.

            There was no one she could talk to either.  No one she could pour her heart out to, no shoulder to cry on.  Her mother would get all girly and want to know every little detail about him.  Her brother would …do exactly like he always did, laugh and poke fun; besides, he was still too young to be thinking about members of the opposite sex like that.  Her father …she blinked.  Forget it, that particular train of thought refused to leave the station, and well it should have.  As for her friends, well, Molly would react similar to her mother, except for the disbelief at the beginning of the conversation.  After all, what regular teenaged girl goes around falling in love with only one man?  Ami would analyze the situation and probably make a reference to her crush on Tuxedo Mask.  Lita would demand whether she was giving up on Andrew and/or Tuxedo Mask, and listen patiently while thoughts of her old boyfriends danced through her mind.  Raye would probably be her best bet, but even the raven-haired priestess would get off track of the conversation by inquiring about the caped crusader and, inevitably, Chad.  As for Andrew, well, she had sat down with him not too long ago and the two had talked through the whole issue of her 'crush' on him and she was relieved to know that he was well in love with Rita and had known that she didn't think of him like that.  While she thought of him as an older brother however and normally talking to him was quite easy, she just couldn't bring herself to discuss Darien with him.  And well, after early, there was no way she'd try to talk with the dark-haired, cerulean-eyed, kawaii young man who hated her.

            Feeling more alone than she had been lately, she finally let her pain out by allowing the tears burning in her eyes to cascade down her cheeks and she choked back a sob as she slid out of the booth in the arcade and walked out the door with her head bowed, twin odangoes drooping along the floor, and utterly unaware of the concerned eyes of Andrew, Rita, Molly and most importantly, Darien watching her.  But whatever pride she had drudged up to walk out of the arcade fled as she stepped into the chilly autumn world outside and let the thick rain drops wash away her tears that fell still before breaking and burying her face in her hands to run away, as far away as she could get from the arcade and the remains of her fragile heart.

                        ***          FLASHBACK                        *                      **

Her spirits were higher than she could recall as she gaily skipped down the sidewalk to the arcade.  Even the brooding thunderclouds overhead couldn't rain on her good mood, though rain seemed destined to fall, and the memory of just spending a half-hour in detention listening to Ms. Haruna drone on about the necessity of showing up on time for school, completing her homework and saving her lunch for lunchtime, couldn't shake the giddiness residing in her heart.

            She was determined.  Today would be the day, the day that she put everything in his hands, today it would be off her chest and left for him to deal with.  Today she would tell Darien Chiba that she loved him and damn the consequences.  In all honesty however, she was surprised at the confidence she felt now that she was dedicated to her mission.  Hah, that morning Luna had remarked on how nice it would be if she showed the same enthusiasm and devotion to her job as Sailor Moon.  '_Who knows, little cat, maybe I will …if everything turns out all right today.  Hey, maybe I'll even study for that English test tomorrow!  And I could do my homework …_' She shook her head briskly to clear it and giggled.  Perhaps she was taking her cheeriness a bit too far, having the nerve to admit to Darien that she loved him was quite a different thing from having the nerve to tackle her school books and youma in the dead of night.  But, things were looking up for her …

            Her hopes fell a bit when she saw Molly sitting inside, not right close to where Andrew and Darien were, but close enough that she would probably see Serena.  Which was precisely what she didn't need.  Tomorrow she might not have this commitment, tomorrow she might not be able to tell him everything …but, oh, today.  Well, it didn't matter that Molly was there, she would say hi to her friend and talk with her later, after she had confronted Darien.  A blush rose in her cheeks as she thought about him, though he sat only a few feet away.  Taking a deep breath she walked through the doors and flounced over to where the two young men sat, giving Andrew a dazzling smile and offering an even sweeter one to Darien.

            "Good afternoon, Andrew, Darien!" She greeted warmly, taking a seat on the stool beside Darien's.  "Could I have a chocolate milkshake, please?" She asked Andrew,  "I saved my allowance for once and now I can play Sailor V until I beat it!"

            "Hey, Serena, that's great!  Are you sure you want to spend it all here though?  Surely you could buy yourself a nice gift or something, right?" Andrew suggested.

            "No, I'm determined to beat that game.  Besides, I'm already getting something this weekend!" She replied happily.  She glanced at Darien from the corner of her eyes, her smile dimming in concern.  He hadn't said anything since she walked through the doors, not even a quirky insult about her grades or usual detention.  Clearing her throat she shared a quick glance with Andrew and turned slightly to face Darien, hardly noticing as Andrew moved off to fix her milkshake and offer her the chance to speak with Darien.  "Umm …Darien?  Is something the matter?  You haven't made fun of me yet …are you sick?  Did I hurt you this morning?  I really wasn't watching where I was going, I said I was sorry though …please, talk to me?"

            He finally looked up from his hands, which were laced together around a glass of water and resting lightly on the tiled countertop and regarded her studiously for a long moment.  "I'd rather if you left me alone today, Serena.  I don't feel like talking to anyone today, particularly not you.  Run off and lose at your stupid games.  It's not as if the fate of the world hung on defeating the final boss, or getting the last drop of chocolate from the glass, or being spoiled.  Go entertain your childish fantasies and bother some little boys your own age." Darien muttered harshly, his dark blue eyes stormy and flecked with anger as he clenched the glass in between his hands until Serena was sure it would shatter.

            She blinked and licked her lips, trying to think of something to say, someway of admitting to him the reason she had come all the way down there with something on her mind besides arcade games and sweets.  But her mind scorned her attempts at salvaging anything from the barrage of insults Darien gave her.  Smiling sadly at Andrew who was returning with her milkshake she tossed a few yen onto the counter and pushed the frothy glass back towards him, shaking her head.  With tears threatening in her eyes she went to a little booth back from the doors and next to the windows and sat down quietly, her hands clasped tightly together in her lap.

            She barely knew when Molly scooted in across from her and tried to get her to talk, didn't mind when the redhead finally sighed and gave up, walking briskly to where Darien still sat with Andrew glaring down at him.  She knew that Molly was concerned for her and wanted to find out why her mood changed so swiftly and she had accurately deduced that Darien Chiba was the cause.  Apparently so had Andrew and like always he was standing up on her behalf like a real older brother would.  She saw Rita enter out of the corner of her eyes and proceeded to grill Darien as well.  It wasn't right though, he hadn't done anything, he just told her to stay away and daydream, and he just didn't want her nearby or talking with him.

            She hadn't wanted to watch the three battering Darien and so she had opted to leave, never even aware that the storm promised for several days now had finally broken outside.  Never letting them see the streaks upon her face and never meeting their eyes out of fear of what she would see.  Compassion and understanding of her cause while, though it was true they cared, they did not …could not understand what had just happened between her arch nemesis and herself.  Hurt beyond the meaning of the word, she had just stood and walked out until she couldn't make herself ignore the pain anymore and had fled in a fit of tears down the street, not knowing where she was going and not caring in the slightest.

                        ***          END FLASHBACK   *                      **

It was cold outside, chilly for even an autumn day and made even more miserable by the sheets of rain falling heavily to the earth.  It must have been as cool when she had left school to go to the arcade, but the warmth in her heart had made her dismiss the weather as easily as the pain therein now made her aware of it.  The sky was a dark, empty grey and the streetlights had already flickered on to make up for the absence of light, though they made a precious little difference through the downpour.  Most people had taken refuge in open buildings or their homes, some daring to drive through the intolerable conditions, but none appeared to be as collapsed in spirit as she to make the trek through the storm worth it.

            Her mother would likely be fraught with worry …her father was probably still at work and grumbling about the drive home in the poor weather.  Sammy could be either at a friend's house or at home and maybe thinking about her …if he knew she wasn't safe and warm at home.  She didn't feel like thinking about anything just then, not her parents or her friends or how much the void within ached, throbbing with her tender heart in confusion and sorrow.  She didn't want to think about or notice the thunder and lightning either, but nature appeared to demand her attention as fully now as ever before, never mind her distractions.  With each earth trembling clap of thunder, echoing loudly and making even the falling rain seem to shudder and every vivid slash of lightning that tore the sky asunder her adamant hollow feeling threatened to overcome her.  

            Terror clutched at her heart like a vise, making her breath come in short little gasps as she tried to keep running, tried to close her eyes against the fury of the storm.  She hoped it wasn't anything serious …just a regular, cleansing storm that would pass before too much time passed.  The storm thought otherwise.  A flare of lightning seared across the sky, carving a jagged path through the stark clouds and seemed to touch ground some distance away, dancing from horizon to horizon.  The thunder rumbled into a gaping maw in the sky, the lightning becoming gnashing teeth and the rain turned to drool.  She shivered despite herself and slipped on the slick ground, teetering dangerously before tumbling to the cement.

            Icy water soaked through her school uniform quickly and making her odangoes heavy with the wetness.  She sniffled and cautiously opened her eyes a crack as she rose to her hands and knees in the puddle.  Lightning flashed again, the ripping teeth coming ever nearer as the thunder made the ground heave and widened the mouth of the beast.  Without warning the lamps illuminated within glass bulbs and set upon tall poles crackled and sizzled warningly, each setting off a dazzling array of sparks before exploding into darkness.

            There was nothing left within her except the horrible, pressing fear that cloaked her thoughts and weighted her heart as she unsteadily regained her feet.  The beast drew closer still as she half-ran half-stumbled on, entirely lost and unable to tell where she was, though it was a matter of debate as to that problem stemmed from her fright or from the awful conditions.  Either way, she was soaked and distraught, alone in reality and in her mind and that hurt her more than anything.  With only a tenuous grip on consciousness and her nearly overpowering panic she went on, tears and pellets of rain ravaging her flawless face as she trembled.

                        *                      *                      *

Darien chose to ignore the wise words spoken in anger by Andrew, he chose to ignore Molly's accusations, which held a decided ring of truth to them and he even chose to ignore Rita's cool inquiries, disregarding the calculated callousness behind them as well.  But he could not ignore the foolishness his mind played on, nor the peculiar tug on the strings of his heart at the sharp memory of the hurt and confusion and anguished acceptance in Serena's deep blue eyes.  While the trio of concerned do-gooders continued their tirades, he tried to block the combined force of his heart and mind and made the mistake of looking up as Serena walked out of the arcade.

            She was quiet, her odangoes dragging along the arcade floor and her face and eyes glued to a spot on the floor that moved as she did.  Even so, though he couldn't see if her eyes were red and puffy from tears and though she wasn't bawling just then, he knew what he had done and that knowledge cut him like nothing before.  Serena seemed so utterly crushed that she didn't even take notice of the thunderstorm raging outside, but she couldn't hold together forever and Darien winced when she buried her face in her hands and fled down the street.

            "Serena …" Molly whispered.

            Rita and Andrew shared a look and then turned their glowers on Darien.  "Do you have any idea what you've done to her?  What did you say that could rip her apart like that?  She was crying, couldn't you tell?  Darien …this isn't like the usual arguments …what did she do?" Andrew asked quietly, his tone one of controlled disbelief and anger.

            Darien didn't meet their eyes but rather kept his gaze on the spot Serena had stood before racing off.  "I can always tell when she's been crying …her eyes turn the most dazzling shade of blue, with grey like that of a stormy sea …if you could have seen her eyes just then …they were a maelstrom." He replied softly, his voice throbbing with guilt and pain.  "I was mean to her today, cold.  Guess she just can't take it when the game moves up a level." He added robotically, trying to dismiss the tremendous weight tied about his heart and the pain that could never have been his …as though he were feeling her hurt.

            Molly glared at him.  "This wasn't a game to her today, Darien.  I saw her and I heard her from where I was sitting.  She was being nice, showing compassion for even one such as you." She paused and glanced out the door, gulping unsurely.  "Find her, Darien, she's terribly frightened of storms."

            "She was probably running home." He muttered.

            Molly gritted her teeth, her eyes alight with worry.  "She lives in the Juuban district.  In the opposite direction."  There was a quaver in her voice.  "She ran out into a storm, heading anywhere but places she knew, sobbing into her hands …because of whatever you said to her today.  You owe something to her, find her before she gets hurt or worse."

            Darien licked his lips, still hesitant until a wet rag snapped against the back of his head.  Andrew took advantage of Darien's surprise to shove him off the stool and towards the door.  He picked up Darien's olive green uniform jacket and threw it at the stupefied young man.  Rita sighed in exasperated fury and helped him into the jacket before shoving him outside into the storm.  Darien gasped, the rain was falling hard, almost hail in the chill of the autumn season and it was as dark as night, save for when the lightning lit up the day like a star going nova and heavy clashes of thunder made the ground reverberate.  He was almost afraid of the weather just then.  But what really made him run after Serena was not the astonishing terror that hit him and continued to slam into him like waves from where Serena ran, but the desperation he felt in his own heart.  With horrible scenarios flashing through his mind, each worse than the last, he ran like the hounds of hell were on his tail.

            He didn't know how far she'd gotten or whether she had made any turns, but something pulled him along in what he felt was the right direction.  It was a pull similar to the one he felt for Sailor Moon when he was Tuxedo Mask, but the pain that ordered him to transform was in absence and somehow that made it all the worse.  He couldn't hear anything above the roar of the storm and his vision was clouded by darkness and rain when he wasn't blinded from the latest bolt of lightning hurling across the sky.  

            When he was finally starting to feel as though he'd never find her, he glimpsed her some distance ahead, head bowed to the rain and her waterfalls of soft golden hair clinging to her wet form as she stumbled along.  She was no longer running as she had been when she left the arcade but it wasn't as though she was watching where she was heading.  And so she never saw the headlights of the truck bearing down on her as she started across the next intersection, never heard the blare of the horn if there had been one.  But he did.  His blood froze in his veins and his mind burned with only one thought: _save her_.  And so he charged down the sidewalk faster than he'd ever ran before, with only the worry that it was too late to spur him faster.

                        *                      *                      *

She couldn't even run anymore.  She was cold and soaked to the bone and hurting from when she had fallen in her flight and from the encounter earlier.  Though her eyelashes were so wet it was a struggle to keep her eyes open and half-deafened by the thunder, she still saw the vehicle on the street, heading her way.  She still heard the horn, muted and impatient as the driver caught sight of her crossing the street when it was already too late for him to stop.  The tires squealed on the slick pavement and Serena almost crumpled to the ground, her blood ran cold as she closed her eyes in painful acceptance of the inevitable.

            But then something equally soggy and strong crashed into her, the force of the impact carrying both from the path of the truck.  Serena felt her wrist crack as she hit the ground beside her savior and opened her mouth to cry out in pain, only succeeding in drinking some of the icy rainwater as her eyelashes fluttered open.  She heard a low moan from beside her and tried to rise with only one arm.  She hurt all over, there were scrapes now to go along with the ones she'd gathered while running and her head pounded furiously, but concern for the person who had risked their life to save hers overrode her injuries and she managed to get up enough to peer down at the other person.

            She barely choked back a cry of surprise and thanks and confusion as she recognized Darien Chiba.  His eyes were clenched shut against pain and he groaned again.  She realized suddenly that he had taken the brunt of the impact and refrained from throwing her arms about his neck to hug him in thanks as she realized that would probably hurt him more than he already was.  The driver of the truck had by then reached them and was shouting something through the noise of the storm.  The man crouched down next to her when it became apparent that neither could understand a word he was saying.

            "Are you all right, missy?  I couldn't see a thing in this blasted storm …were you hurt?  How are you, sir?  Are you injured?" He asked in a voice tight with worry.

            "Please, sir, I'm fine," Serena managed.  "Do you have a cell phone?  I'm afraid he might be hurt worse.  Can you call an ambulance?  I don't think either of us were directly hit by your truck, just the landing."

            "Hang on, missy, I'll call, there's a phone in my truck." He shrugged off his coat and carefully laid it so part covered her and part covered Darien.  "You just hold on, I'll call help,"

            Serena smiled through her pain, thankful that the rain hid her tears and she bent over Darien.  Her voice wavered dangerously as she tried to rouse him.  "Darien?  Can you move at all?  Please say something, Darien, please," She pleaded, using her good hand to gingerly brush his ebony bangs from his forehead.  Darien's eyes came slowly open at her tender touch and he clenched his teeth for a moment as a spasm of pain lanced through his body from his shoulder.

            "Serena?" He whispered.  "Are …you all right?"

            Serena nearly laughed in relief.  "I'm fine, Darien, never better.  Can you do something for me, Darien?"

            "Anything," He replied breathlessly.

            She managed a slight smile and gently kissed his forehead.  "Hold on, the truck driver is calling an ambulance.  Everything will be fine, just you wait and see." She said, blinking back more tears.  Darien offered a small smile as he closed his eyes again, breathing heavily.  Serena started to cry harder, not sure whether he was going to be all right or not, her tears falling lightly upon Darien's chest with the raindrops, her heart crying out for Darien to be all right with every beat.  Then suddenly there came a brilliant flare of light and one of her teardrops crystallized in the rain, spinning slowly as the Rainbow Crystals flew through the air to merge with the crystal tear until a single shining crystal hovered between Serena and Darien.

            Darien opened his eyes once more and sighed softly.  "The _Imperial Silver Crystal_." He said in awe.  "Princess," And then the crystal exploded in a burst of dazzling silver light, enveloping the two completely …

                        ***          THE MOON               ***

_When the light faded, they were in the same positions they had been, amidst a great expanse of faded white earth with a ruined palace and grand city lying not far off.  Darien was clad in dark armor with silver accents, a sword secured in its sheath at his waist and a cloak between his body and the ground.  Serena was half-kneeling at his side, garbed in a creamy white gown with golden circles across the bodice and clinging softly to her body, a pearl bracelet adorning one wrist and the crystal still midair._

_            Her Moon Scepter sparkled into existence in her good hand and the crystal twinkled to its rightful spot in the cup of the crescent moon.  Memories came flooding back of the marvelous civilization that had dwelt upon the Moon and all the planets of the solar system, memories of a forbidden love and friendships that would span the ages, of preparation for war and of the last days of the magnificent Silver Millennium.  Serena's face was wet with tears as she recalled Endymion's final moments, when Queen Beryl had struck him down with her dark power and he lay dying in her arms.  When she had taken his sword and taken her own life with it, to join her beloved in eternity.  _

_            But then other memories were awakened, of the hours just after their deaths, memories that could not have been hers for they lasted right up until the end, when Queen Serenity used the full power of the Silver Crystal to offer the people of the Silver Millennium another chance at life on the blue world.  And then she came back to awareness, Princess Serenity, eternally at Endymion's side, their love beyond all measure._

_            "Serena …Serenity …my princess, my love," Darien murmured, his separate identities clashing for supremacy until Endymion won out._

_            "Yes, my love, I am here.  You remember, you remember everything …and so do I." She replied._

_            "We are free, my love, we are free." And as though his words released the spell binding the pair to the ruins of the Moon and the flood of memories, everything began to shimmer away and rain fell from the heavens as their royal attire shifted back to modern-age wear and the crystal flared to life again, returning the two young lovers._

**                        *          TOKYO                      ***

Serena's vision was swimming dangerously as the wail of a siren brought her back to the present.  Darien was breathing somewhat easier, thought pain was still gouged into his expression and then her own pain returned as well.  She collapsed backwards, unable to cling to consciousness any longer and the driver caught her carefully and eased her to the ground as he waited for the ambulance to arrive.

                        *                      *                      *

Darien wasn't in any particular hurry to wake up, until he remembered everything that had just occurred.  His mind spun with the sheer volume of what he had learned and shared with Serena just a short while ago.  Or had it been longer?  Suddenly, worry for his newly discovered princess and love froze him to the bone and he blinked awake to be greeted by a sweet sigh of relief and soft lips pressed against his own.  Stunned and filled with a sudden euphoria, he did the only thing he could think of and kissed her back.

            He wasn't aware that others were present until he heard the touched 'oohs' and 'ahhs' and then the kiss was broken off hurriedly.  Serena jumped away from the hospital bed, a becoming flush to her cheeks that made her eyes seem a darker shade than they normally were.  Darien didn't chance moving just yet so he contented himself with looking around.  Andrew, Rita, Molly, Raye, Lita, Ami, that new friend of Serena's whose name was Mina, and what appeared to be Serena's parents and younger brother were clustered in the room.  There was a new addition in the number of cats he knew as well, instead of just Serena's pet Luna, there was a white cat with a golden crescent moon as well.

            The mushy noises had come from Serena's friends, mother and Rita, the angry yet proud glare from the man who could only be Serena's father, the grossed out look from Sammy and the self-congratulatory smirk from Andrew.  Darien stifled a sigh and looked up to Serena who was still a charming shade of crimson.  Despite her apparent embarrassment however, a happy little smile tugged at her lips …her imminently kissable, full and rosy lips …with a delicious aftertaste of strawberry.

            "Serena," He called softly.  "I'm sorry for what I said to you before, in the arcade.  I wasn't in a particularly good mood, largely because you were on my mind in three separate ways.  I'm sorry I didn't have the nerve to tell you this before, but I love you Serena …my little moon bunny, I always have and I always will."

            Serena smiled warmly and went to his side again.  "Well, Rose boy, if you hadn't been so quick to wound then, you would have let me tell you the precise same thing.  I for one had the confidence to say it.  I love you, in whatever form and in whichever time," She replied.  Darien smiled to himself, glad that she had worked it out as well.  Once he made the connection between Serena and the princess of his dreams, something inside had told him the Sailor Moon wasn't all that different either.  He was glad that he no longer had a secret from her.

            Being careful to not jar his aching shoulder, he created a rose behind his pillow, one without the steel tip he added when in combat, and offered it to her.  Serena squealed in pleasure and lifted it to her nose, sniffing daintily.  Her right wrist was bandaged and secured beneath her breasts by a baby blue sling but nothing beyond true love and devotion was shining in her eyes as she ignored the spectators in the room and leaned over to meet his lips in a soul-searing, passionate kiss that made everything worthwhile.  And it went on and on and on …


End file.
